1. Field of Invention
Various embodiments of the present invention relate generally to content-based routing, and more specifically, to reallocating burden in content-based routing.
2. Background
In the realm of electronic communication, routing is the act of forwarding information from source to destination via intermediary entities (e.g., routers). For example, constraints (also referred to as filters or subscriptions) may be used to make forwarding (routing) decisions for incoming messages (also referred to as publications) based on the information stored in the header or the content of the message. The router may interpret content in the header of packets in view of constraints, and forward the packet accordingly.
One example of such a system is a publish/subscribe (pub/sub) system. A publishers may publish events (messages) in a pub/sub system for subscribers that receive notifications (messages) regarding events that have occurred. Publishers may also be referred to as producers, sources or suppliers, while subscribers are also known as consumers or sinks. In pub/sub systems, routers are components tasked with the conveyance of communication between publishers and subscribers, and thus, mediate message transfer between them.
The integration of electronic communication functionality into an expanding number of applications has increased network size, complexity, etc. For example, not only will the number of subscriptions that must be maintained by each routing entity increase as more apparatuses are added to networks, but also the complexity of each subscription. This burden may prove computationally expensive for routers when making forwarding decisions.